STARWEB EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP (THE SEDG) (Sponsored by Flying Moose Technologies' Starweb Analyzer - http://flyingmoose.cjb.net) VOLUME 48 May 7, 2001 CONTENTS Feature Article - A STARWEB STORY OF MURDER AND BETRAYAL Questions - SEDG Web Page URL The Captain's Log - Trust...Secrets...Betrayal The Swap Corner - The Starweb Analyzer Email functions Correspondence FEATURE ARTICLE A STARWEB STORY OF MURDER AND BETRAYAL By Randy Carr and Elliot Hudes SW-Z1307 The Somnos/Northstar/Vorlon/Flathead then Prieure perspective. By Elliot Hudes I will go first since from the perspective of my alliance things were very straight forward, that is until T13 when the brown stuff hit the fan. I started out the game as Somnos the Merchant. I had wanted to beef up my ranking and thought I would play a supportive merchant role in this game. Early on I stated that I did not want to win the game but that I wanted to help propel someone from within my alliance to the Victory with my score close on it's heels. This is not how it worked out ?. Turn 4 was first contact time. I met Prieure and Northstar both empire builders. Northstar agrees to alliance immediately. Prieure was much slower and wants to build a second HW early in the game. I manage to create a nonaggression pact with Prieure and wish him luck with his project (which I thought would make him extremely vulnerable). I also meet Flathead an Art Collector who is playing his first game of Starweb. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to push his position for the win. So the alliance becomes three. T5 - both Northstar and I meet Vorlon the Pirate. I have been this player's nemesis in previous games and we are both anxious to be allies this time. The alliance is now at 4 players - Merchant, Pirate, EB and Art Collector. We decide this is the perfect size for our alliance and close membership. This was especially true since the game only contained 10 players. We have heard that another Art Collector (Dolar) was allied to an EB so these players were not ideal candidates anyway. I do some minor metal hauling to Prieure to preserve our friendly border. You never know when you will need a friend. My memory is a bit hazy but I believe we got wind of 2 other alliances forming. Triton (berserker) seemed to be trying to be friendly with everyone in the game. I was sure John/Triton was trying to play the neutral berserker to get as many PBBs as he could to win the game. He pitched members of my alliance and we truly believed that there were 3 alliances. One of the other alliances contained Shadowzen (EB) who was to become the bad boy of the web, Dolar (AC) and Triton (loosely allied) on our Northstar/Vorlon border. Then there was the alliance of Becrux (EB) and Lothario (Apostle) also friendly with Triton. This alliance was on the Flathead/Prieure border. We tried very hard to orchestrate our first target so that we didn't give Becrux/Lothario a reason to join with Shadowzen and Dolar. What we didn't know was that Triton had put them all together as a team to neutralize the threat of our alliance. When war broke out 2 things had occurred. One, we were hit first. Vorlon was hit massively by Shadowzen and Dolar. Two, Flathead missed a couple turns and stopped returning our email. We were on the defensive and we knew that the Flathead area would be a feeding frenzy. Lucky for us that Northstar already owned the HW and I was hauling. The HW remained at full production through this fiasco. Our alliance did the following. 1) Initially Vorlon, Somnos, Flathead and Northstar HWs funneled ships into Vorlon's area to defend it. We let ring 3 and even ring 2 worlds fall while we kept the HW at full strength. We had enough ships to make a successful defense of the HW. 2) After a couple turns we funneled ships from Northstar and Somnos to start the Shadowzen counter attack. 3) We used small keys to grab as much Flathead property as we could. Lack of surplus keys and ships made this project last until T17 and the end of the game. 4) We approached Prieure about joining our alliance in a military capacity. We had already promised worlds to Vorlon for plunder and to Northstar for scoring. Prieure was receptive, as he had found his building of a second HW not as productive or as successful as he had hoped. We asked him to start a front with Becrux or Lothario to keep them occupied. This would keep them out of the other war and hopefully keep them out of Flathead area. We promise Prieure the Flathead HW production to help with his war. Prieure accepts the challenge and decides to take them on. The war was going very well. We had a major fight in Vorlon but we were very sure we would prevail because the Dolar forces had broken off and tried to sink deeper into our territory. All we were dealing with was Shadowzen here. I'm not sure if they knew it but they entered Somnos territory right along the pathway my reinforcing ships were taking. I had two small industry worlds that had been built up during the first 10 turns of the game and between them I had over 20 industries plus my HW builds ready to take on Dolar. At this point we had managed a small force to invade Dolar. As for Prieure - he was playing chicken with Lothario. He marched right up to the Lothario HW while Becrux and Lothario invaded Prieure in force. I was certain that Prieure was going to be destroyed but he sure was going to take out a HW if he could. As things looked my merchant position was going to be our best bet to be the winning position for our alliance. I had 1500 points on the enemy Art Collector (Dolar) and was hopeful he couldn't make more than 3 museums. I was confident that Triton wouldn't get the ships he needed for PBBs to win the game because we had embroiled every player on the map in the fight. So on T13 it comes as a complete shock to me when Triton approached me and sued for peace. Apparently when he started asking Shadowzen for ships to start his bombing runs he was met with a very cool reception to say the least. Then the fun began. Triton provided me a ton of email correspondence where I read about the breach in their alliance. I turn this over to Randy now to provide these entertaining notes along with his insightful and humorous commentary. Elliot The Dolar/Shadowzen/Becrux/Lothario/Triton perspective By Randy Carr It was a dark and stormy night. Well, I haven't been around this game very long but it feels like I've seen more than my fair share of weird things. I joined SW-Z1307 on T5 as a replacement player for Dolar the Artifact Collector. As can be expected in a standby role, I found myself in a weak position surrounded by Empire Builders and a Pirate. Time to negotiate. I knew some of the players from previous games and first tried to hook up with my old friend Somnos. Typically, though, he had consolidated his alliance after T4-first contact and already had an AC in his group. Unfazed I made the rounds, hat in hand, and discovered Triton, the Berserker per the following exchange: >Thu, 21 September 2000, > >Hello TRITON in SW-Z1307 > > I have taken over a position in this game and got your name from Somnos. I have >been turned down membership in an alliance of Somnos and four other players. I'm >assuming you are not part of that group and am checking to see if you want to be >friends? > >> DOLAR >> >So SOMNOS is in this game! I have allied with him in every game of starweb in the >>last two years. I think this time I will play the foe. This means we must ally and beat >>him and his group to the finish line. I am allied with SHADOWZEN >>This changes the whole thought process of the game since I know how El plays. He >>will get his alliance established and then pick a target to take out. If we keep to >>ourselves and don't cause any waves with their alliance then we can score quickly in >>the early stages of the game. I'll run the projections out for a T12 finish. This will be >>about the time they start the scoring run. My goal is to be set to win at that time. >> >>TRITON Triton promised to get in touch with Shadowzen, one of what turned out to be 4 Empire Builders in the game and it was obvious he was really excited because he sent a very indelicate e-mail projecting through the rest of the game to an eventual Triton victory. The reasoning behind Triton's analysis was absolutely sound but, hindsight being what it is, this may have been the thin end of what was to become a large wedge between Triton and Shadowzen. Here's the exchange. >Thu, 21 September 2000, > >OK team, I have laid out an overview for winning this thing if you let me proceed. As >I predicted, it is possible to score 15,000 points by T13. It would take a total >commitment from you two to push my score this fast and I know I can surprise El by >doing it, specially if he does not see my score until T10 or so. > >My bombing run would start on T9. > >Fleet distribution is no problem if fleets are given in your area's. It will take the 3 >HW's 5 turns to turn out the ships needed. That means we have to have the HW's at full >production by T7. > >Let me know if you are up for this. If anyone starts messing with your borders, then I >am willing to curtail bomb runs to defend, but it would cost us a first place finish in the >alliance. I don't think El will sit back knowing I am in the game as a Berserker not >allied with him and capable of pulling this off. He was allied with me a while back and >saw I could project this character out to conclusion from an early turn. > >Thanks > >Triton >>From: "ShadowZen >>To: "Tritonz" >>Sent: Friday, September 22, 2000 7:04 PM >> >>Well, uhm... it seems a bit, how shall I say it... selfish. I mean, this projection of yours >>is all well and good, but what about DOLAR & I... just gonna run off and leave us? >>We all need to work together - getting needed worlds to me, ships to you, and Art to >>DOLAR, that is what an alliance to me means. Not that what you say isn't possible, >>but I think we need to look at things more on a turn-by-turn basis... with the long-term >>goal that all of us end up with good scores, with the Berserker doing his blowup at the >>appropriate agreed times. >> >> This layout of yours seems a bit premature, and probably unrealistic. We know that >>this game is slippery and dangerous to project to far in advance. I can make my >>promises of ships and deliver as I see what the turns bring. >> >> A winning strategy to me would be for TRITON to win, me to make a good EB >> showing (my rating is so trashed, I just want to get a good score, not win at all >>costs)... and DOLAR to get a good standby score, even if he comes out ahead of me! >>Now, let's see what we can do THIS turn before looking down the road, shall we? >> >> ShadowZen Despite a number of attempts to clarify our arrangement we really never got complete agreement on this point. Triton was clear in his mind that he was going to be supported for the win. Shadowzen said sure, but I think always had doubts. I agreed to support the Triton win but, as a Standby Player, I didn't feel I had as much stake in the game as the other two. So things carried on and Triton recruited BECRUX (EB) and LOTHARIO (Apostle) to our alliance, putting us one player ahead of the opposition alliance of SOMNOS (Merchant), VORLON (Pirate), NORTHSTAR (EB) and FLATHEAD (Art Collector). Our alliance organized the following priorities. 1) A massive first-strike invasion of Vorlon the Pirate. We had detected a weakness because Vorlon had spread himself very thin early on and controlled a large number of worlds with only 1 & 2 ship keys. This invasion was supported directly by Dolar and Shadowzen with a large infusion of ships from Triton. 2) An immediate initiative to maximize hauling to our respective HomeWorlds. We knew, that without a merchant we were liable to fall behind in this area and Triton volunteered to coordinate the initiative. Becrux and Lothario were both too far away to help with the military action against Vorlon, so Triton was counting on them to build ships for bombing runs later on in the game. 3) An attempt to gain a peaceful or alliance relationship with PRIURE (EB), the only remaining unallied player in the game. From the beginning things did not go smoothly, especially the hauling. Triton did a good job of suggesting movement but we had a number of incidents where we ambushed each other fleets. The two EB's didn't want to declare allies since they were trying to capture worlds in Triton and my areas. Finally, after several costly internal ambushes we all declared each as Ally. On the military side, we started well. I made several aggressive "gauntlet" runs through 1&2-ship ambushes and ended up at Vorlon's R1. Triton supplied Shadowzen with a huge number of ships that threatened from the opposite front. But it never came to fruition. Shadowzen made several errors in executing his side of the attack (blatant plug for Elliott: he did not use the Analyzer!) and was often late in getting his draft orders to the rest of the team. I was exposed after my initial thrust into Vorlon territory and also saw that Somnos and Northstar were quickly coming to Vorlon's defense. In the meantime we saw that Flathead had dropped and Prieure had engaged Lothario and Becrux. I figured Shadowzen wasn't going to get Volron's HW and so I decided to move toward Flathead which I had hoped would be left undefended and open to a quick attack. Boy, was I wrong! I walked right into a hornet's nest; Somnos had built up two additional industry worlds which were full of I-ships and my invasion fleets were almost completely wiped out by an ambush. At this point Triton's chances for a win were looking a bit doubtful. Becrux's hauling had not gone well and Lothario was about to lose his HW production due to the Prieure attack. I had blown my brains out in a failed gambit against Flathead and Shadowzen was still sparring with Vorlon. I was now looking like our alliance's best bet for the win. I had established 4 museum worlds and there was a chance Somnos would think I only had three. (See John Shannohouse rule of Art Collectors) Before I could get a discussion going on changing strategies the whole game blew up just before the T11 deadline. To make things worse it was also only a few days before Christmas. As it turned out, I picked a bad two days to be away from my e-mail. Here is an edited version of what has to be one of the weirdest exchanges in SW history. >From: "Triton" >To: ; ; ; >Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 12:23 PM >Subject: Turn 11 Last minute stuff > >Since I haven't received any plans from Z-man yet, it is hard to figure out what is >happening in his area. > >SHADOWZEN - Please build as requested on W81 and W128. > >DOLAR - Looking good on score. Museums shaping up nicely. Are you going to back >into the VORLON area to help with W148 or are you leaving it up to Z-man? > >Thanks > >Triton Now, you wouldn't think these are fighting words, would you? Read on. >>On Thu, 21 December 2000, "ShadowZen" wrote: >> >>TRITON; >> >>ACCORDING TO MY ROUGH CALCULATIONS, YOU'VE GIVEN ME AROUND >>400 POINTS OVER THE LENGTH OF THE GAME (TO THIS POINT). I WILL DO >>THE BUILDS/TRANSFERS AS YOU REQUEST AT W81... AND WILL AFTER THAT >>CONSIDER OUR CONTRACTS FULFILLED. >> >>I DO THIS WITH SOME TREPIDATION CONSIDERING IT WILL NEARLY >>STRIP MY SYSTEM BARE OF DEFENSE! BUT I WILL HONOR THIS >>COMMITMENT IN ANY EVENT. DO NOT ASSUME THERE WILL BE FURTHER >>SHIPS DOWN THE ROAD... THE GIFTS YOU MADE OF SHIPS TO GO AGAINST >>VORLON SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS 'COLLATERAL' FOR FUTURE >>SHIPS, SINCE THEYARE BEING USED TO DEFEND THE ALLIANCE, AND DO >>NOT BENEFIT ME IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN THAT. >> >>IT IS MY OPINION THAT WE HAVE ALL DONE EXCEPTIONALLY WELL IN THE >>ALLIANCE, I PRAY THAT THIS COMMUNIQUE WILL NOT BE TAKEN >>DISPARINGLY OR BEGRUDGED, I AM DOING WHAT I CONSIDER FAIR AND >>ABOVE BOARD NEGOTIATIONS. LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS OR IS NOT YOUR >>VIEW. Oops, I don't think Triton is going to like this. >>>From: "Triton" >>>To: ; ; ;; >>>Sent: Friday, December 22, 2000 12:32 PM >>>Subject: Re: Turn 11 Last minute stuff >>> >>>Now you have my attention! From the beginning I have had to work around your >>>blunders, errors, and just bad judgements in playing this game. The pact was for >>>me to win the game and for those in the alliance to support that position. Now you >>>wish to bean count for point score in the name of continuing a battle. The only thing >>>you have left is credibility and you are walking the fence with that! >>> >>>You really want to take this position? Fine. It is only a game and I can live with >>>that, but I however will not let you bean count the alliance. I also hold nothing back >>>from my allies. So as you can see I have forwarded this to the rest of us for thought. Just a warning to all SEDGE readers. Use that "Beancounter" word with extreme caution. Here comes Shadowzen's reply. >>>>Subject: Re: Turn 11 Last minute stuff >>>>Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 16:51:04 -0600 >>>>From: "ShadowZen" >>>>To: "LOTHARIO" , "BECRUX" , "TRITON" , "DOLAR" >>>> >>>>TRITON (AND THE ALLIANCE COUNCIL); >>>> >>>>FOR WANTING TO WIN SO BAD, YOU SURE ARE THE WORST DIPLOMAT I >>>>HAVE EVER WORKED WITH. NOW YOU'VE GONE TO SUCH LENGTHS AS >>>>TO CAST DISGRACE UPON ME BEFORE OUR ALLIES? >>>> >>>>SO BE IT. ALL DEALS ARE HEREBY ANNULLED, CONTRACT NULL AND >>>>VOID. NO SHIPS, NO BOMBS. SUCK ON THAT! >>>> >>>> OH, AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO SHOOT ANY SHIPS OF YOURS THAT I >>>>SEE. THE PACT THAT YOU SPEAK OF WAS ONE YOU RAMMED DOWN >>>>OUR THROATS. THIS GAME MEANS LITTLE TO ME AS IT IS, I HOPE IT >>>>SHOOTS YOUR PRECIOUS RATING TO HELL! >>>>IF ANYONE ELSE IN THE ALLIANCE WISHES TO SUPPORT YOUR >>>>TYRANNICAL POSITION, BRING THEM ON! >>>> >>>>TO THOSE THAT SUPPORT ME, I SHALL DO AS BEST I CAN THESE FEW >>>>TURNS TO MAKE TRITONS LIFE MISERABLE. >>>> >>>>YOU CAN BEAN COUNT ON THAT! >>>> >>>>WHO STANDS WITH ME? >>>> >>>>SHADOWZEN Becrux trys too late to get everyone to calm down. >Subject: RE: Turn 11 Last minute stuff >Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 16:59:15 -0600 >From: Becrux >To: Shadowzen, Lothario, Triton, Dolar > >My suggestion is that we get rid of the ALL CAPS, finish the damned XMAS >shopping and come back to this discussion calmly once XMAS is over. > >BECRUX I think Shadowzen objected to Becrux saying Xmas, instead of Christmas. Anyway, I was next on Shadowzen's Christmas mailing list. The turn deadline was the 22nd . Note the date on this post. >Subject: EMERGENCY ORDERS! >Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 17:26:23 -0600 >From: "ShadowZen" >To: "DOLAR" > >DOLAR; > >TRITON WAS HIS USUAL BULLY SELF IN CONSIDERATION OF MY PROPOSAL >THAT HE HAD GOTTEN ALL HE CAN OUT OF ME AFTER THESE BUILDS. I AM >BREAKING ALL TIES WITH HIM THIS TURN AND IN FACT AM >FIRING UPON HIM EVERYWHERE THAT I SEE HIM. IN CONSIDERATION OF >YOUR & MY ALLIANCE, I AM BUILDING 23 SHIPS ON YOUR FLEET AT YOUR >HW128, AND BUILDING 8 ISHIPS TO PROTECT AGAINST BECRUX DOING A >BACKSTAB. THESE SHIPS ARE YOURS WHEN YOU SAY. I FELT IT PRUDENT TO >PROTECT YOUR HW THIS TURN GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I WILL SEND >MY ORDERS OUT IN HALF-AN-HOUR. > >IF THIS IS AGAINST YOUR WISHES LET ME KNOW, IF POSSIBLE. >I STILL PLAN TO HOLD STRONG AGAINST VORLON/SOMNOS, BUT TRITON IS >NOT MY ALLY (LIKE HE EVER WAS!) > >DEATH TO TYRANY! > >SHADOWZEN Sorry about the All-Caps but that's how we got it from Shadowzen. Nice of him to give me a half-an-hour notice at Christmas that the alliance and my first chance at a win as a standby player is going out the window. As I mentioned before, I was offline and never got back to Shadowzen. He sent his orders as threatened and shot the h--- out of Triton wherever he could. Triton was actually remarkably calm with his response. >From: Triton >Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2000 6:59 PM >To: Becrux; Lothario; Dolar > Subject: Now What? > >Looks like SHADOWZEN followed through on his promise. Before I press on any >further with the game I need to know what the rest of you are thinking. > >Triton Becrux asks the obvious question. >Subject: RE: Now What? >Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 06:50:57 -0600 >From: Becrux >To: Triton, Lothario, Dolar > >What did he do? I haven't seen your turn or his yet. If he shot at you then I think he >needs to make amends, big time amends or..... I went ahead and sent my turn to >everyone hoping it would bring us back to normalcy. > >Meanwhile, have a nice XMAS and I hope to hear from everyone on the 26th. > >Becrux I try to play the peacemaker but it's already too late. >Subject: Re: EMERGENCY ORDERS! >Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 01:02:48 -0800 >From: Randell Carr >To: ShadowZen 1 > >Shadowzen, > >I am sorry I missed the last 48 hours of e-mail. I have been travelling extensively and >obviously missed a lot (understatement of the week!). > >I feel badly that things escalated so quickly between you and Triton. I feel especially >bad because it was a misunderstanding over W128 that seems to have triggered the >conflict. You were right; I did want you to build to my fleet this turn and from then on, >resources are dedicated to Triton. > >Just between you and me I have enjoyed your participation in this game, especially >your recent commentary on the Vorlon war. I really appreciate your sense of humour, >something that is often lacking in this game. You have made a few mistakes, but >nothing really flagrant and I've made my share of goof-ups as well (Remember when I >captured W128 from you by not putting my fleet "at peace"). It's tough to be perfect. > >However, I think you've gone too far with this attack on Triton. I haven't been playing >SW for very long but it was made very clear to me in my first game that deals must be >respected. As much as Triton has been pushy and self-serving in his approach, he has >also been consistent in delivering on his commitments as a member of the alliance. > >We all agreed at the beginning of the game that we would support Triton for the win. If >there is any way you can see your way clear, I would suggest you make peace with >Triton and at least agree to continue to work as part of the alliance until the end of the >game. If we break up now, we hand the game to Somnos and friends. > >Dolar Shadowzen never did reply to this diplo and instead issued the following. Beware, if you grew up in the 70's this could cause hallucinations or flashbacks. >Subject: Crisis what Crisis? >Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2000 18:39:14 -0600 >From: "ShadowZen" >To: "LOTHARIO" , "BECRUX" , "TRITON" , "DOLAR" > >Members of the Alliance; > >Let me speak plainly. Although TRITON and I have a difference of opinion, to such an >extent that words flew and ships were shot, I do believe this alliance is salvageable, and >that no real harm has occurred. You are all aware of how I feel in this matter, that I >believe we were more or less 'railroaded' into supporting a TRITON win, that our >objections were heard but not heeded at the time, but events drove us on. > >That's fine by me. I have NOT 'reneged' on my promise of ships and worlds to PBB, I >was set last turn to do exactly that (again, against my better judgment). But when I told >TRITON that this would more or less equalize the points between us, he took to calling >me a BEAN COUNTER! Now hold on, those are fighting words! >As I have said, I have not 'RENEGED'. Since he made it clear that he was not going to >see this the same as I, I HAD TO TAKE HIM OFF ALLIANCE STATUS to defend my >system. NO ONE ELSE WAS TAKEN OFF ALLIANCE STATUS AND NO ONE ELSE >WAS SHOT AT. THE SHIPS I DID SHOOT AT WERE IN MY SYSTEM ONLY and >were small fleets. This was done as precaution to what I could see as a real potential >problem. I did not do this to BACKSTAB him, but to prevent any surprise he may have >had in store for me. > >In fact, if TRITON will simply agree to accept whatever I decide to be fair (and when) >then I have no problem in continuing the Alliance. (BF added for emphasis) > >ZenMan, At this point I was furious. At least he didn't entirely use all caps but that last comment really got to me. I sent a long e-mail to Shadowzen addressing each of his points but I have to confess, my heart wasn't really in it. What I really wanted was for him to give back my HW so the rest of the alliance could spank his Zen butt. What I got was the following. >>>Subject: Re: Fw: Crisis what Crisis? >>> Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2001 20:08:57 -0600 >>>From: "ShadowZen" >>>To: "Dolar" References: 1 , 2 >>> >>>DOLAR; >>> >>>Well, I must say your solution sucks (IMHO). I give you back your HW... for what?? >>>All the art I've given you? I didn't think so. Except for screwing up two builds, what >>>have I done to deserve this loss? Told TRITON he was a total ass and refused to be >>>his puppy? Shit, man, if you had any BALLS you would back me to the MAX! >>> >>>Since it appears I'm going to have to go full out rebel against TRITON (alone), give >>>me a good reason to lose this plum... Now, you can either let me hold onto it, and >>>get your builds, or I will just hold it hostage, possibly until the end of the game. >>>Doesn't matter to me either way. You wanted someone to fight, well, now you can >>>just fight me. >>> >>>Fuck it, fuck you... fuck the Alliance. >>> >>>ShadowZen >>> >>>ps ... pass this on to your allies for me. tell them i said 'come get some'! Yup, no lie. I didn't make this up. He really said that. At that point I petitioned the rest of the alliance and we lobbied the Somnos alliance for a police action against Shadowzen. Now back over to Elliot. Randy Carr As Dolar/Randy has pointed out, Shadowzen had stopped taking instructions as to the builds of HWs he was gifted and in fact was holding them ransom. He didn't believe that a scoring run was indicated considering the military situation. He may have had a point but he then went as far as firing on his own allies. That was definitely a breach in good manners ?. Triton pointed out that his alliance would take out Shadowzen at all costs. He also indicated that there would be no challenge for us fighting them now, as they would not engage us. It also became clear that Becrux and Lothario were part of their alliance so we were in fact playing a game with 2 mega alliances. The decision was reached in stages. I said that I had the game bagged already so I would cooperate if nobody passed my score. Since Vorlon, Northstar and I were already fighting Shadowzen both in his own territory and Vorlon's there was no need to change our game plan. Dolar and myself (Somnos) were ready to withdraw from each other. Basically it all rested on whether Prieure, Becrux and Lothario wanted to cease hostilities. They did and the rest is history. The SW-Z1307 police action versus Shadowzen was born. I slowed my metal drops as much as possible - keeping the HWs barely functioning (and Flathead's not functioning at all) to keep my score down until it ended on T17. Shadowzen kept us entertained with taunts, copies of his successful ambushes of our fleets and provocative graphics attached to his emails. As to the Police Action., the details are not important. We retook the Dolar HW by Triton robotization. Basically the 8 of us disengaged from each other and sent everything we could into Shadowzen. Some war ships had to fly 3 turns before hitting Shadowzen's ring 3 worlds. Early on, Shadowzen sent me correspondence stating that his relationship with his former allies was over. Since I was fighting them already, would I be interested in joining forces. I turned him down on the basis that I had no reason to change sides. By T16 we had engaged just about every Shadowzen world and had a PBB at his HW. I must admit that Shadowzen made the game extremely enjoyable. Each turn cycle he would send notes baiting us (as you have seen a taste of above). These notes were often accompanied by interesting graphics of space ships, aliens or even his dogs as well as URLs of web sites pertaining to war or magnificent defeats ?. He would wipe our nose in every ambush he succeeded in despite the fact that with 8 to 1 odds we didn't care about lost ships. When the game ended on T17 he claimed victory by informing us that we had failed to exterminate him while he had made a successful invasion of the Dolar/Triton HW. This was not your typical game and we had Shadowzen to credit with a thoroughly enjoyable experience. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS - Can anyone answer these? Question from Scott Davis Last Issue: >The rules state: "Note that if 2 or more players both fire at the >population of the same world, each gains or loses the proper number of >points for the TOTAL population that died there that turn." > >I have witnessed that even if the attacking keys are lost, the >berzerker/apostle firing at pop still gets the points. Does the same >rules hold true for robot drops? > >In other words, if my ally and I both drop robots on the same world, >but our target destroys my key and keeps me from doing direct harm to >the population, do I still get the kill points for attacking >(robotizing) population? > >Thanks. >-Scott Editor's note: Remember, if you robot attack but your key is destroyed you will do no damage to the population and receive 0 points. In this case the allied berserker successfully does the kill. Will the program credit you? I still haven't received any answers from our knowledgeable readers. Here is a new question from Norman Hecht: What's the maximum number of links from a single world that anyone's seen? Given that the Black Box sometimes can add or change links, I'm curious to find out what can happen here. Thanks, Norm Hecht Tim Braman asked: >> So, Elliot, do you have a complete list of the sequence that orders are executed? thanks, tim << Editor: No, I don't. The rule book gives a general outline but every so often I learn a fine point or two like the one about when Apostle conversion capture occurs (after a world checks if it should kill off the population when it exceeds the population limit - which is why migrating converts to PBBed worlds doesn't work). And yet another question from Scott Davis: Starweb rules question: Do you know what will happen if I PBB a world at the same time that I migrate (not drop) a robot to that world? Will the robot capture the blasted world or will it be killed by the population the moment before the PBB is dropped? I read the rules and could not figure out where population migration fit into the order of things. -Scott/RUNNER Editor: C'mon guys - how about some answers! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- STARWEB EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP - is now available on the web. Look for our new MAPPER'S SECTION on the SEDG Web Page. http://www.accessv.com/~somnos/sedg.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURE - THE CAPTAIN'S LOG 010506.1653-4 Trust...Secrets...Betrayal By Walt Schmidt walts@dorsai.org Those who have followed my past logs, might now be scratching their heads and wondering where my open quote is [NEMO, JUST my thought]. I am still recovering from last's month's log [HUH, NEMO - that was a great one - and why aren't you talking to me???], and have decided to let others speak for me... TRUST: "The highest compact we can make with our fellow is-Let there be truth between us two forevermore." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "At the bottom of the heart of every human being from earliest infancy until the tomb, there is something that goes on indomitably expecting, in the teeth of all experience of crimes committed, suffered, and witnessed, that good and not evil will be done to him. It is this above all that is sacred in every human being." - Simone Weil Last month's column [HELLO NEMO!] was my annual April Fools column. And while the math and the URLs are all valid, I have no idea if Loomis is using [AH, I'M beginning to understand] any of those shapes as a basis for his "new maps." SECRETS: "His mind of man, a secret makes I meet him with a start He carries a circumference In which I have no part." - Emily Dickinson "The vanity of being known to be trusted with a secret is generally one of the chief motives to disclose it." - Samuel Johnson I had hoped that while many of you would figure it out - the "secret" was one I could divulge this issue, with a bit of fanfare [NEMO, THINK about it - you would have had some of our readers spend their valuable time on a wild goose chase?] And who knows, maybe one of you who didn't know of my prank, would have done us all a favor and found a solution to the new maps [UH OH - now I do understand - perhaps I did mess up a tad]. BETRAYAL "The most dangerous follower is he whose defection would destroy the whole party: that is to say, the best follower." - Friedrich Nietzsche "The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born." - Bible: New Testament. Matthew 26:24. But it seems [and are ya listenin' Alter] some had an other idea...[OOOPS] 'Til next log - Shai Dorsai ! Nemo ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURE - THE SWAP CORNER The Starweb Analyzer Email functions Have you noticed when you open the Order Editor to view the Draft orders that there is a button on the toolbar with an envelope on it that is the 'Email the Draft Orders' button? It is equivalent to the File->Send Draft Version to. selection in the menu area. Similarly under the Final orders tab is a button with an envelope and red arrow entitles 'Email the Final Orders to FBI (also listed under the File menu selection). The Starweb Analyzer supports emailing both your draft and final orders via your default email program. The email program must support the standard Mail Application Program Interface "MAPI". Netscape Communicator and Outlook Express are two such mail programs. Note: Compuserve, Aol and perhaps other providers that use their own brand of email software protocols will not be able utilize this feature. In addition I have heard that Outlook 2000 has some interface problems. The Draft Orders selection is only active if the Draft Editor tab is active. This will allow the Starweb Analyzer to open your default email program and insert the Draft Orders and subject line. All you have to do is address it and you may send your plans/orders to your allies. The Final orders selection is only active when you have the Final Viewer Tab active. This will allow the Starweb Analyzer to open your default email program and insert the final orders, subject line and address it to FBI. You may now send them in directly. Before you use these functions you should open the Preference window (File- >Preferences) and select Editor->Email. You will be presented with a few things you have to setup up first. 1) Type of text to send to Email Editor. You must select either Plain text or HTML. This lets the Starweb Analyzer know which kind of format to export your orders as to your email mail editor. If you don't know which one - just select one and try exporting the document. If you have it wrong the email will look horrible with incorrect spacing and formatting. Just go back and select the other option and try again. 2) You will need to fill out the Flying Buffalo Email Information. In the box on the left is the name (Flying Buffalo Inc.) and the box on the right you put the current email address for FBI orders (currently - games@flyingbuffalo.com) 3) The final information asked for is email information for you. Similarly in the left box is your name and the right box you should put your email address. I have had reports that in some email programs the left and right box information have been reversed. You may have to fiddle about a little to get this function to work for you and this reflects the nonuniformity of MAPI functions amongst the various email softwares available out there. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRESPONDENCE To The Captain (from Elliot) Walter I was intrigued by your last Log and was sure you had made it all up. So I visited those web sites and learned that I truly new very little about the theory or mathematics of complex polyhedrons. I sure hope that this is not where FBI is getting their ideas for 3D maps because if it's true - then all is lost when it comes to cracking the geometry. In fact, the worlds in recent difficult maps could not only line the surface of these very complex shapes but could even reach interiorly across some of the faces. Editor: The next note is from John Galt in response to an idea of Lenny Schussell. Lenny Schussell said: > Enjoyed the new volume. Perhaps you can invite all the readers to > each suggest a single rule change and when there are a lot that we > agree on, then maybe it would make the cost worthwhile to Rick to make > Starweb V-2. My suggestion would be to improve the pirate score by > giving him 5 points per ship for every key that he pirate captures. > Early in the game, there might be some 5-20 point bonuses, but later > when the 100 ship armadas start floating, some significant jumps can be > made. It would reward the pirate for being a pirate, just at the time > when his plunder value of the home territory is falling off > drastically. I like this idea a lot. This would make the Pirate a viable character (capable of winning the game), rather than forcing players to choose between the fun of combat and a chance at the win. Here's my proposal: Add a "message" command for use in anonymous games. As with all other commands in the game, all player names, fleet numbers, and world numbers in the command would be translated for each player to whom the message is sent. (Elliot or Rick can explain the need.) Editor's note: Anonymous games scramble the player names, world and fleet numbers. So W34 on your printout may not be seen as W34 on another player's printout. Similarly for fleet numbers. This prevents communication if players actually found out they were in the same game and traded turnsheets. Back to John: I've even come up with a list of messages, which I offer so that everyone else can tell me the ones I've forgotten. Command format: M,players=num,parameters where: Players = Recipient player code name or a comma-separated list. An equals sign (required) marks the end of this list. num = message number (below) parameters = Optional: One or more (comma-separated list) of the following, to fit the message number: Wn (world number n) Fn (fleet number n) Vn (artifact number n) name (player code name) number Where part of a message is in [square brackets], it would be optional, and included only if you specify the parameters inside the brackets. The message list: 1 Greetings! Let's talk. 2 What are all your character names? (Multi) / What is your partner's character name? (Partners) 3 (Sends the answer to #2. [Specify character name(s) to send if you want to lie. If you specify a name that does not exist in the game as seen by you, you'll get an error and the message won't go through.]) 4 What are your feelings about me [or players ___]? 5 What do you intend toward me [or players/worlds/fleets/artifacts ___]? 6 What do you know about the intentions of players ___ toward ourselves? 7 I claim worlds/fleets/artifacts ___. 8 You can have worlds/fleets/artifacts ___. 9 I think player ___ owns worlds/fleets/artifacts ___. 10 I do not claim worlds/fleets/artifacts ___, and don't know whose they are. 11 What character type(s) are you [or players ___]? 12 I am [or player ___ is] an Apostle. 13. I am [or player ___ is] a Berserker. 14 I am [or player ___ is] an Art Collector. 15 I am [or player ___ is] an Empire Builder. 16 I am [or player ___ is] a Merchant. 17 I am [or player ___ is] a Pirate. 18 I am [or player ___ is] out to make a high score. 19 I am [or player ___ is] out to have fun fighting. 20 I am [or player ___ is] going to resign from the game. 21 I am [or player ___ is] now a standby player. 22 Players ___ are my allies. 23 I am trading with players ___. 24 I have friendly relations with players ___. 25 I am at war with players ___. 26 I do not intend to attack players ___. 27 I intend to attack players ___ later. 28 I will defend players ___ if someone attacks them. 29 I will look the other way if someone attacks players ___. 30 I'm not yet sure what I intend toward players ___. 31 I intend to keep my word. 32 I intend to break this deal. 33 I am not sure if I will break this deal. 34 Players ___ have treated me well. 35 Players ___ have attacked me [at worlds ___]. 36 Players ___ have kept their promises. 37 Players ___ have broken their promises. 38 I have shared my mapping data with players ___. 39 Players ___ have sent me mapping data which I know to be correct. 40 Players ___ have sent me mapping data which I know to be phony. 41 Players ___ have sent me mapping data which I trust but haven't verified. 42 Players ___ have sent me mapping data which I doubt but haven't verified. 43 I propose the following deal with you [and players ___]. 44 I agree to the following deal with you [and players ___]. 45 I have already made the following deal [with players ___]. Note: Messages 43-45 are expected to be followed by other messages spelling out the terms of the deal. 46 Let's attack players ___. 47 Let's make a non-aggression pact with each other [and players ___]. (If at war, this is an offer or request for peace.) 48 Let's make a mutual defense pact. 49 Let's share mapping information. 50 Player ___ gets worlds/fleets/artifacts ___. 51 Player ___ gives [number] ships to player ___. 52 Player ___ gives [number] metal to player ___. 53 Player ___ (an Apostle) gets to send fleets at peace to the others' territory to make converts. 54 Player ___ (an Apostle) wants his converts to be shot at. 55 Player ___ (an Apostle or Berserker) gets to send fleets to attack population in the others' territory. 56 Player ___ (an Apostle or Empire Builder) gets worlds [___], but agrees to build with their industry as the original owner desires. 57 Player ___ (a Collector) will be given artifacts. 58 Player ___ (a Merchant) gets to send fleets to haul for the others, and will be declared Loader. 59 Player ___ will supply fleets to player ___ (a Merchant) if he will use them to haul for him (the first player). 60 Player ___ (a Pirate) gets worlds [___], but agrees to return it in two turns (after plundering). 61 Player ___ gives [number] ships to player ___ (a Pirate) to use for combat, but agrees to return them [or give them to player ___] near the end of the game. 62 This deal would be temporary, for ___ turns. 63 Any of us can cancel this deal [with ___ turns notice]. 64 I am now [giving you ___ turns notice before] cancelling our deal. 65 Let's keep this deal private. 66 Please keep this mapping information private. 67 It's okay with me if this becomes public knowledge. 68 Please don't quote me as the source of this information. 69 I agree to keep your data private. 70 Player ___ told me the following. 71 World ___ connects to worlds ___. 72 World ___ is a black hole. 73 World ___ is my [or player ___'s] homeworld. 74 I have [or player ___ has] [number] ships at world ___. 75 I have [or player ___ has] [number] metal at world ___. 76 I [or player ___] will deliver [number] artifacts to you at world ___. 77 Please send [number] ships to world ___. 78 Please follow this path: ___ (world numbers). 79 Please build [number] ships onto fleet ___. 80 Please transfer artifact ___ onto fleet or world ___. 81 I declare war on you. 82 Go jump in a black hole! Happy hunting! John Editor's comments: The idea of a message command isn't bad but I find that your list is so extensive that it would completely negate the whole concept of the anonymous game. Well, that's it for Volume 48. Don't be afraid to submit articles or suggestions. They don't have to be long. Address your correspondence to Elliot Hudes at somnos@compuserve.com